Improvement in beer-coolers



. A. STEVENS.'

v Beer-Cooler. l No.160,796. Parenedmarchlns.

C S C@ s AV 6V@ v IIIIHH THE GRAPHIC C0.PHOT0 L|TH.39 8c4] PARK PLAUEN-Y.

BENJAMIN A. STEVENS, OF TOLEDO, OHIO.

IMPROVEMENT IN BEER-COOLERS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 160,796, dated March 16, 1875; application filed January 30, 1875.

T0 all whom fit may concern:

Beit known that I, BENJAMIN A. STEVENS, of Toledo, in the county of Lucas and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Beer and other Coolers, of which the following is a specification My invention relates to a cooler in which provision is made for the prevention of the escape of the cool air at the opening through which the faucet of the barrel, keg, or other vessel projects.

The subject-matter claimed will hereinafter be set forth.

In the accompanying drawings, which represent so much of -a cooler as is necessary to illustrate my invention, Figure l is a front elevation; Fig. 2, a vertical central section; and Fig. 3 a front elevation of the removable portion or door of the cooler, detached, with the sections of the faucet, clamp, and cover for the opening in the door swung apart.

The cooler or ice-box A is constructed in any of the ordinary well-known ways suitable for the vpurpose to which it is to be applied. In this instance I have shown it as applied to cooling ale and beer in barrels; but it may obviouslyT be adapted for use for cooling milk or other liquids in cans or other vessels provided with faucets.

The cooler is provided with a detachable part or door, B. The door is removably secured in place by suitable means, consisting, in this instance, of a sliding catch, C, at top and studs c c at bottom, which t `into mortises in the cooler. A faucet, D, in the barrel or keg projects through an opening, b, in the door. 'This openin g is made of sufficient width and length to accommodate faucets of different sizes-either the small metal ones or the large wooden onesattached to barrels of varying sizes, as well as to barrels the tap or faucet holes of which vary in location, as they frequently do even in barrels of the same size. To close or cover the opening around the faucet and prevent the cool air from escaping from the box, I employ a detachable adjustable sectional faucet-clamp. This clamp is made in two parts, E E', each part provided with a longitudinal slot, 6 e', through it, and having curved recesses or jaws F F', lined with rubber, soft metal, leather, or other yielding or elastic material, as shown at ff. The lining lnay be removed for renewal or for the substitution Aof larger or smaller lining. A set-screw, G, or threaded bolt for a thumb-nut passes through the slots in the clamp and secures it to the door in any position, to which it may be adjusted longitudinally and sidewise by sliding and swinging the sections of the clamp on the set-screw as a pivot. The inner or adjoining faces of the clamp-sections move in close contact, and the projecting' edge of the upper part E is provided with a ange or rib, h, (shown by dotted lines in Fig. 3 and in section in Fi g. 2,) which projects downwardly and moves in contact with the outer surface of the door or with the bearing plate or piece H, secured to the door, in this instance, so as to bring'the bearing for the cla-mp flush with the surface upon which the bottom section is supported. The bottom section E is preferably formed with a lug, h', at itslower outer corner. The rib h and lug l1. limit the inward movements of the clamp-sections Von their pivot. An ear or lug, I, on the section E affords a hold for moving the clamp. The clamp is of sufficient Width and length to entirely cover the opening in the cooler-door, (except at its recesses) when the parts are swung inward or together to the limit of their movement, and projects some distance beyond the opening both at top and bottom.

By this construction faucets projecting through the opening in the cooler at different elevations, whether small or large, can be closely clamped in the recesses or jaws ofthe clamp-sections, and the opening around the faucet completely closed.

The barrel, the contents of which are to be cooled, is placed in the cooler after removing the door, the faucet being inserted in the hole to receive it in the barrel, and ice packed around or above the barrel, as usual. The door is secured in place, and the clamp-sections are then adjusted by sliding and swinging them on the loosened set-screw to the desired position, (which is easily done, as they are independently adjustable,) with their lined recessed portions or jaws clamping the faucet snugly. In this way the leakage of cool air from the cooler is effectually prevented by a device which can readily be applied to the coolers of the ordinary construction now in sectional slotted clamp, and the setscrew, use. these members being constructed and operat- I claim as my inventioning substantially as set forth. l. The faucet-clamp composed of sections In testimony whereof I have hereunto subindependently adjustable both longitudinally scribed my name.

and sidewise, substantially as and for the pur- BENJAMIN A. STEVENS. pose set forth. Witnesses:

2. The combination of the slotted cooler- CHAs. L. RHOADE,

door, through which the faucet projects, the W. H. STANDART. 

